No To Intertoto

Ossie reckons an extra two weeks holiday is incentive enough for the players to get the point needed to get European football at Goodison next season for the 3rd time in 4 seasons.

Leon says: "Sunday's game means everything to us. Not only to make sure we are automatically in the UEFA Cup proper, but we don't really want to be left in the Intertoto Cup. With that competition the players have to start back training a couple of weeks earlier and it means competitive football earlier than it should be for the lads, with their fitness levels not quite right by then.

We really enjoyed our European experience this season and not to have it next term would be a disaster for us. With the ability we have shown this season and the quality we have got, and the players we have, we go into Sunday's game with our confidence high. If we play to our potential, we should get the result that we require to make sure of fifth and to complete a fine season." (09/05/08)

Great To Have Him Back

Everton's skipper is glad to see Leon back in the team after recovering from injury.

Phil says: "He is an outstanding player, an outstanding team player. He does things for the team that nobody else recognises – tackles, sets the tone and we miss him when he is not in the team. It was good to have him back with the kind of energy we have missed. Osman's energy was joined by Mikel Arteta's mercurial skills for the last half hour of the Villa match. (03/05/08)

Praise For Leon

Ossie was the difference between the two teams in the game against Derby. So says the manager of the People's club.

Moyesy says: "I though Leon Osman made the difference to the team when he moved into the middle of the park. The 20 minutes or so that he spent in there was probably the difference. I think his best position is central midfield, but for a lot of the time he has been in the wide positions. He can score goals as he did today. It was a lovely pass from Manuel Fernandes and a lovely finish and he nearly got a second. He did well. I expect more goals from him. I think he has to add that. I think consistently he plays well for us and he is reliable when he plays. I move him around into three or four different roles and he does it without a murmur." (07/04/08)

Under Estimated

Leon possibly had his best game in an Everton shirt on Wednesday night and Moyesy believes the middle of the park could be his best position.

Moyesy says: "I think Leon is a very, very good player and is under-estimated in a lot of ways. He does two or three roles for us. He can play off the side, he can play in the middle and he can play up front. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he is one of our boys.

When I came here he was playing centre-forward and scoring goals for the reserves in that position. "The biggest thing then was his size and where he was going to play. But I think he might end up as a central midfield player. He is still developing even now because he has played so many different roles, but he had football intelligence and that is difficult to buy nowadays." (15/03/08)

Survival Of The Fittest

Its a sign of how far Everton have come when two goals in a previous game does not ensure you a starting place in the next. Andy Johnson was the unlucky player to make way in Monday nights victory at Man City, and Ossie is using this example to show the rest of the Premiership the strength in depth now at the Blues. Ossie is urging his team mates to deal with it if they miss out one week, as no one's place is guaranteed, in hopefully this trophy winning season.

Ossie says: "Even scoring a goal doesn't keep you in the team these days, as has been proved in the last couple of weeks. It highlights the strength we have. There are more people who missed out on Monday who are fit. I think everyone's fit and there are a few players really chomping at the bit to get back into the team and that is making us perform better on the pitch. It is going well for us on the pitch. We are winning games and looking strong. Even this win can't guarantee it will be the same team against Portsmouth but that is something we have come to deal with. We will move on and be positive for that game." (28/02/08)

Be Professional

SK Brann coach Mons Ivar Mjelde thinks his side needs a miracle to win at Goodison this Thursday, but Leon says Everton won't be taking the Norwegians lightly.

Mjelde says: “We need a miracle of a lifetime. To believe in qualifying is pointless. We’ll start at 0-0 and try to get the best possible result. If we start with the hope that we can make it, it might end very badly. You don’t learn a lot by losing 5-0 at Goodison Park. The goal is to play well there.”

Ossie says: It’s far from over and they will give it all they have got in the second leg.” (19/02/08)

Four More Years

Leon Osman has signed an extension to his existing contract keeping him at the club till 2012. Mostly unheard of in today's game but Leon along with Tony Hibbert have been with the Blues straight form school, and it looks like both will be finishing their careers with the Blues. Hopefully with a bag full of silverware as Moyesy's quest for World domination carries on.

Leon says: "We started talking a couple of months back, but I don’t think there was ever any doubt that I was going to commit my long term future to the club. I’ve been here since I left school, and that’s a long time but it’s where I want to play my football." (21/01/08)

Back Soon

Ossie can't wait to get back in full training after breaking his toe before Christmas. The physios have to slow him down as he's so keen to play again.

Ossie says: “I’m trying to push as hard as I can every day without re-injuring myself. But certain days I have pushed a little bit too hard and I’ll be in pain so the physio’s have to pull the reins in and slow me down. I’ll be back as quick as my body will heal though. We were on a great run while I was in the side and I was really upset to get injured. But the team have been doing well without us and I’m sure they’ll put 100 per cent into the rest of the games I’m out. We will get more better results than we will get bad results. I can’t keep myself away! I’ve always got something to say as well which some people aren’t always happy about! But it’s the type of Club where we’re all close and you like to keep yourself in and around the place and I’m not the only injured player hanging around.” (17/01/08)

Six Weeks Out

A hammer blow for the Blues with the busy Christmas period now upon us, in that Leon Osman will be missing for the next six weeks with a broken toe. Ossie did the damage early doors against West Ham in last weeks Carling Cup victory, but he carried on to net the first goal for the Blues. Ossie then had pain killing injections ahead of the Prem win against the same opposition, but with scans showing a big crack (no jokes please), Ossie is now in recuperation mode, and is targeting mid January for his return.

Moyesy says: "It’s an absolutely terrible blow. He broke his toe in the first five minutes of the Cup game but he battled on and it shows you how tough he is. He was in a bad way but still wanted to play. He had a scan and it showed a big crack and we think he is going to be out for between four to six weeks. Leon’s form had been good and he has been playing a big part in everything that we have achieved recently." (18/12/07)

Got To Keep It Going

Leon Osman, Everton's most under rated payer at present is hoping the Blues carry Saturdays impressive form against Sunderland forward to our away trip to Pompey this weekend. The Blues who are on a run of seven unbeaten will travel to Portsmouth to avenge our 2-0 defeat of last season. Keep it up boys, I am tingling all over !!

Ossie says: " We are probably playing the best football since I've been around the first team. But there's no point in is doing is one week if we then lose the next three or four games. We have got to make sure we keep progressing and keep our feet on the ground and don't get carried away." (28/11/07)

A New Contract Wanted

After seeing AJ, Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Vaughany and Big Vic signing new long contacts aswell as score the winner on Saturday, Leon is hoping to put pen to paper on a new deal in the near future.

Ossie says: "The manager is looking to build something here. All the players who have signed deals have committed themselves for the next four or five years, so the future is looking bright and things aren’t at present too bad either. Everything clicked into place and it was certainly the most enjoyable game I’ve played in. We had the confidence to try things that we might not normally do and we worked really hard to get into good positions.

We have got the type of players who are comfortable in attacking positions and can express themselves. We all know how the game against Liverpool turned out and maybe that was the thing that pulled us together. We haven’t looked back since then. We have such belief in ourselves and each other and we hope this can continue. I’m enjoying myself, playing in the middle with Cars and we are getting an understanding.

We want to keep this going now at Portsmouth. They’ve been on a fantastic run as well and have been playing some really good stuff. They have got a really good home record and will be looking to push for Europe. We hope we can go down there and match them." (26/11/07)

Whopper

Leon scored one of the best goal seen at Goodison for a long time last night and he's chuffed to bits.

Leon says: “I’ve managed to get myself in midfield a few times this season and I thoroughly enjoyed playing that role and the goal capped it off I think. It was really nice and a good time to score just after half time and credit to the lads it was a great move and I was just fortunate to be there to finish it off.

Steve Pienaar who played it back for Leon to strike says: "It was hard work. We did a lot of running for that goal so for the ball to go in it was great. I think it is one of the best goals we have scored this season."(26/10/07)

3 out Of 3

Ossie is hoping that he can make it 3 goals in 3 games as long as we win against Reading at the Madejski stadium on Saturday.

Leon says: "It is something I aim to do in every game - score. I had a chance and managed to put it away. Hopefully the chances will keep coming and I will keep putting them away. We will go there confident as ever and hopefully come away with a win." (16/08/07)

Vital Win

Happy to score, but the win was the most important thing, so says Ossie.

Leon says: "It is vital we started well and I was thinking the same for myself personally and I was pleased with how it went. It is always important to have a good first game, but it was even more important for us because we have two tough away games coming up and we didn't want to put pressure on ourselves after the first game." (12/08/07)

Team Spirit Crucial

Leon reckons Everton can continue to get into Europe season after season with the great team spirit there is in the dressing room.

Ossie says: "I think where we have come from four seasons ago - when we finished 17th with our lowest points tally - to finishing in Europe twice. The top four are a little bit above everybody else at the minute with the money they have got and everything else so to finish 5th or 6th you are finishing 1st or 2nd in what they call our table. It's the highest realistic achievable place at the minute. I have only really been here in my career - I have had a couple of loan spells but I have got nothing to compare this to, the team spirit. I have just known it as being great but players come in and say it's not like this at anywhere else which is really pleasing that it's like that here. I've been here a while now - I am starting to get myself in the old team in training which is a bit upsetting to be honest but it's all fun and games and I hope that can continue." (28/05/07)

Ossie Last Season        Full Squad 2007/2008